System for controlling the coiling of elongated material on a coiler

ABSTRACT

A control system is provided for controlling the speed of a rotation of a coiler, such as a drum, in accordance with the rate at which the material is supplied and the diameter of the turn of the coil being layed at that instant. The material is usually layed first in a spiral of increasing diameter and then in an adjacent spiral of decreasing diameter, so that the speed of rotation of the coiler has to be continuously varied. A first signal is provided as a measure of the actual speed of rotation of the coiler, and a second signal, produced by a potentiometer having a sliding contact controlled by cam means driven in a predetermined relationship with the coiler, is provided as a measure of the required speed of rotation. A regulator compares the signals and controls the speed of the coiler accordingly.

3,666,196 May 30, 1972 SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE COILING OF ELONGATED MATERIAL ON A COILER Detlef Fullers, Dusseldorf; Friedrich Schubel, Herne, both of Germany Schloemann Alttiengesellschaft, Dusseldori', Germany Filed: Apr. 17, 1970 Appl. No.2 29,505

inventors:

Assignee:

Int. Cl. ..B2lc 47/28 Field 0! Search ..242/75.5 l 82, 83

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/l953 Trofimor ..242/75.5l X

3.373.332 3/l968 Olsen i U242/75i5l X 3.223306 l2/l965 Dingei'... ...H242/75.5l X 3,348,l07 l0/l967 Hamby ..242/75.5l X

Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz Assistant Examiner-Edward J. McCarthy Attorney-Holman & Stern 5 7] ABSTRACT A control system is provided for controlling the speed of a rotation of a coiler, such as a drum. in accordance with the rate at which the material is supplied and the diameter of the turn of the coil being layed at that instant. The material is usually laycd first in a spiral of increasing diameter and then in an adjacent spiral of decreasing diameter, so that the speed of rotation of the coiler has to be continuously varied A first signal is provided as a measure of the actual speed of rotation of the coiler, and a second signal, produced by a potentiometer having a sliding contact controlled by cam means driven in a predetermined relationship with the coiler, is provided as a measure of the required speed of rotation. A regulator compares the signals and controls the speed of the coiler accordingly.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEnmao m2 3. 666, 1 9

sum 1 or 4 Fig.7 A E c INVENTORS DETLEF FULLERS ET AL.

PATENTEI] m 3 0 I972 SHEET 2 OF 4 INVENTORJ DETLEF FULLERS ET AL.

PATENTEDMY 30 1972 SHEET 3 OF 4 DETLEF FULLERS ET AL BYJAJMW M, PM? v' M A-r-rneuz r:

SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE COILING OF ELONGATED MATERIAL ON A COILER The invention relates to a system for controlling the coiling of material, which is supplied in an extended length, on a coiler such as a drum. The coiler is arranged to be rotated by a motor, and the speed of rotation controlled by the control system.

It has always been necessary to pay particular attention to adjustment of the speed of rotation of a coiler in relation to the coiling diameter at any given moment, taking into account the rate at which the material is supplied, for example by extrusion from a press, or another machine in which it is processed.

It has been the practice to provide a control system for a coiler drive system, which functions by comparing theoretical and actual operating parameters. However, this system only enabled the speed of rotation of the coiler to be approximately adjusted to the diameter of coiling at a given moment, so that it was impossible to avoid tensions and distortions in the coiled material.

According to the present invention, there is provided a system for controlling the coiling of material of extended length on a coiler arranged to be rotated by a motor, the control system comprising means for providing a signal according to the actual speed of rotation of the coiler and a setting circuit for controlling the motor, the setting circuit including a potentiometer, cam means arranged to be driven in a predetermined relationship with the coiler and to control the potentiometer in accordance with the angular position of the cam means to provide a second signal which corresponds to the required speed of rotation of the coiler, and means for comparing the two said signals and controlling the speed of the coiler.

The present invention can control the drive motor of the coiler in such a manner that the peripheral speed of the coiler is always adjusted to the coiling diameter at any given moment, so that it can be ensured that the material is coiled smoothly and without tension.

As a further feature of the invention, a stepless variable gear can be located between the signal means, e.g. a selsyn, and the cam means, which may be in the form of a disc, so that the ratio of the speed of rotation of the coiler to the speed of rotation of the cam disc may be adjusted according to the number of turns of material coiled on the coiler in each lay. The potentiometer may have a sliding contact which is spring-loaded, weighted and abuts the periphery of the cam means. Each half of the periphery of the cam disc can represent the ratio of the peripheral speed of the coiler necessary for a particular coil diameter to the speed at which the material is supplied, for any lay of the coil. The voltage applied to the potentiometer can be made variable to allow for variation in the width of the coil.

The potentiometer can take the form of a longitudinal potentiometer. A fixed resistor may be connected in series with the potentiometer to limit the internal diameter of the coil.

An extra control potentiometer can be provided at both the input and output ends of, and in parallel with, the longitudinal potentiometer to vary the width of the coil.

An advantage which may be obtained by using a control system according to the invention is that it becomes possible to adapt the speed of rotation of the coiler at any time so that it is always that required by the diameter of the coil at a given moment for any position of the coil.

Starting from the fact that the displaced block volume V, is the product of the extrusion die surface F and the path of the extrusion die s, while the volume of extruded product V, is the product of the cross-section of the extruded product F, and the length of the extruded product s, resulting from the displacement of the block (cf. FIGS. 1 and 2):

V,=F, .s', V,=F, .s, From the incompressibility of the extruded material we know V, V,. From this we obtain for the speed of the extruded product v, and the speed of movement of the extrusion die v,: F X v, F: X v,

From the equation F= D X #14 l), Diameter of extrusion die D Diameter of extruded product (wire) 0 Deformation ratio (I) From the relationship between the speed of the extruded product received at the coiler, the radius of coiling and the speed of the coiler we obtain:

17 X n (U w= Angular speed of the drum (radius/second) n Speed of coiler (r.p.m.) r= Radius ofcoiling M,

From the equations 1 and 2 we see that Since the deformation ratio does not vary during the extrusion process because of the constant die aperture while 1r/30 is a pure numerical value 1 K constant 1 From this we may conclude that coiling is effected at a given die speed and constant coiling radius with a constant coiling speed.

When the extruded material is coiled in lays, systematically coiled length of wire forms an spiral which is determined in tion the lay of a Archimedean polar co-ordinates by the equar= a X (p when a is the factor of proportionality of the spiral and d: the angle of rotation of the coiler. The factor of proportionality a tells us the degree to which the radius of the spiral varies for each rotation of the radius.

For each rotation, the radius of coiling varies by the thickness of the wire a, as long as each turn of the wire lies against the next.

From equation (4b) it is possible to calculate the appropriate angles of rotation (P and pa for a fully coiled lay which is defined by the inner coiling radius r, and the outer coiling radius r.,:

t 1! =2 (P1 17 d The difference between the two angles of rotation is expressed by the angle D which is required for a lay of wire to be completed.

From equation we may determine the number of drum rotations required for a complete lay ofthe wire:

If it is desired to use a number which represents the variation of the radius of coiling during a certain period of the coiling operation, it should be remembered that a coiling period extends over two lays of wire. The first lay causes the coiling radius to vary from the inside out while the following lay causes the radius to vary from the outside in. It is proposed that the coiling operation be indicated by means of a cam disc which completes a full rotation for each coiling period. Each side of the cam disc is then provided with a shape corresponding to the increasing or decreasing diameter of the coil for the coiling speed.

In order to enable the coiling period to be adjusted to the coiling speed for various gauges of wire, a steplessly variable gear can be inserted between the coiler and the cam disc.

The design of the cam disc may be that of an Archimedean spiral.

This cam disc can be used as a guide member which displaces a longitudinal potentiometer. This potentiometer, which provides a signal corresponding to the coiling radius at any given moment by means of the cam disc, is introduced into the electrical setting circuit to constitute a setting means, so that the speed of the collar adjusts in accordance with eq uation (3), to the rate at which the material is supplied, and the coiling radius at any given time.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 and 2 illustrate the principle of the invention;

FIG. 3 is the mechanical connection of the control members;

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the control system;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the potentiometer circuit when the internal diameter of the coil is limited; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the potentiometer circuit when the coil width is limited.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, an extrusion press A continuously extrudes material E to form a thin length at B by means of a die C. The material is coiled in turns W in lays on a coiling drum 9. The material E to be extruded has a diameter D, and is extruded at a rate v of movement of the die C to form the length B having a diameter D, which is extruded at a speed v lnstead of an extrusion press A, it is possible to use a cable sheathing press or any other machine which produces continuous lengths of material 8 or otherwise handles them.

FIG. 3 shows a drive motor 1 which is connected, by means of a shaft 2 and a clutch 3, with a hydraulic pump 40 which is mounted in a unit 4. The pump 4a actuates a hydraulic motor 4b, the shaft 6 of which is coupled, by means of a clutch 7, with a worm gear 8. The worm gear 8 is arranged to drive a coiling drum 9 around which the material from the extrusion press is coiled. An electric speed indicator or signal generator 10 is arranged on the extension of the worm shaft 8a and is connected by means of a shaft II to a steplessly variable gear [2 and a cam disc 13, which is mounted thereon so as to be fixed for rotation.

A sensor 14, contained within a sleeve Ma abuts the periphery of the cam disc 13 by means of a sliding contact I50 of a potentiometer I5 which lies on the cam disc 13 and is spring-loaded and weighted by means of a weight I7. The potentiometer 15 takes the form of a longitudinal potentiometer.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drive motor 1 actuates an adjustable hydraulic pump 4a which in turn drives a hydraulic motor 4b which acts through the shaft 8a and a worm gear 8 to impart movement to the coiler drum 9. On the extension of the shaft is mounted the signal generator or tacho-nltemator 10 which produces a voltage dependent on the speed of rotation of the drum 9 and represents the actual speed of rotution n,. The voltage produced by the signal generator is conveyed through a wire 2] to a regulator I8.

0n the extension of the shaft 80, the cam disc 13 is driven by means of the shaft II and the stepless gear 12. On the two halves of the periphery of the cam disc 13, the relationship between the drum speed n and the radius of coiling r for each layer of the coiler drum 9 is displayed in the form of an arithmetic spiral. During rotation of the coiler drum 9, the sliding contact of the longitudinal potentiometer I5 moves into the potentiometer circuit and thus causes a variation in the voltage representing the theoretical rotational speed n, synchronously with the movement of the cam disc 13.

The sliding contact 15a is connected to a sensor 14 lying on the periphery of the cam disc I3 which is weighted by means of a weight 17 and abuts the cam disc 13. The sensor I4 is contained within a sleeve 14a. Between the wires 25, 25a is the potential u which represents the speed of movement v of the die and which is passed through a signal generator or tacho-alternator or other source, such as a grid pulse generator, from the press A to an electrical transformer 26 to express the deformation ratio between the material E and the extruded material 8. The signal leaving the transfonner 26, or the voltage formed for speed of the extruded material v,, is conveyed through a wire 27 to the longitudinal potentiometer R,l5, varied synchronously with the movement of the slide contact 15a on the potentiometer, which is imparted to the said slide contact by means of the cam disc 13, and conveyed to the regulator 18 through a line 22.

The regulator 18 provides a voltage equal to the difference between voltages representing the speeds n, and n,, this voltage is applied to a hydraulic correcting element 19 through a wire 23. The hydraulic correcting element 19 acts through a wire 24 to control the hydraulic pump 40 and thus influence the speed of the hydraulic motor 4b an hence the coiler drum 9.

The speed v, of the die is thus measured electrically and a voltage :4 proportional to this speed is produced. Analogously with equation 1, the voltage u, is multiplied in the transformer 26 by the transformation ratio Q, thereby producing the voltage u,. This voltage in turn produces a measurement which is proportional to the speed of the extruded material v From u n X r n coiling speed r= coiling radius we find that at a given speed of movement of the extruded material, which is expressed by the voltage u, and when the extruded material is coiled in lays, i.e. when the coiling radius varies continually, the coiling speed it varies in inverse proportion to the coiling radius r.

Hence what is required is a control member which transforms a voltage u,, dependently of the coiling radius r at any given time, into a voltage u which the in turn serves as a guide for a speed regulator circuit for the coiler drum 9.

This type of transformation may be effected, for example, by providing an electrical potentiometer which is in contact on the one side with voltage u, while the other side is connected to the reference potential of voltage u. The position of the take-off on the potentiometer is detennined by the coiling radius r. The voltage between this take-off and the reference potential is a measurement for the speed n of the coiler drum 9 which, for a given speed of movement of the extruded material v can ensure coiling at the desired coiling radius.

Since the design of the coiler drum 9 makes it impossible for the coiling radius r to be greater than r the potentiometer mentioned above may be so designed that the side connected to the reference potential takes the form of a fixed resistor R while the actual potentiometer function is taken over by a potentiometer R, in series with the fixed resistor R If the sliding contact 150 of this potentiometer is actuated by the cam disc 13 described above, the voltage u on the sliding contact 15a varies as a function of the coiling radius at any moment, so that the radius-dependent speed of the coiler drum 9 adjusts accordingly.

As shown in FIG. 6, the potentiometer may be arranged in parallel with the potentiometer circuits with the variable resistors R1 or R, and R thus making the voltage applied to the potentiometer l5, and hence the coiling range in relation to the layer on the coiler drum 9, variable in one or either direction. This means that it is possible to vary the values for r. and r,, in such a manner that a number of coil widths are obtained per layer.

The invention may be used not only in conjunction with the coiling of extruded material on a coiler drum but may be used anywhere material for coiling is handled and finally coiled in lays, such as is the case in cable production, cable sheathing, wire sheathing etc.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for coiling material, comprising a coiler with an axis, means for driving the coiler about its axis, and a com trol system for controlling the coiling of material of extended length on the coiler, the control system comprising means connected to the coiler for providing a signal corresponding to the actual speed of rotation of the coiler and a setting circuit for controlling the coiler driving means, the setting circuit including a potentiometer with a sliding contact, cam means, means for driving the cam means in a predetermined relationship with the rotation of the coiler about its axis, the cam means having a cam surface of a shape corresponding to the required speeds of rotation of the coiler and controlling the position of the sliding contact of the potentiometer to provide a second signal corresponding to said required speeds, and means for comparing the two said signals and controlling the speed of rotation of the coiler accordingly.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam means is a disc having a periphery, the periphery of the disc providing the cam surface.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for driving the cam means has a steplessly variable gear through which it drives the cam means from the coiler driving means, whereby the relative speeds of rotation of the coiler driving means and cam means can be varied.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the potentiometer has a sliding contact which is spring-loaded, weighted and abuts the cam surface.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cam surface consists of two halves each being a mirror image of the other in shape, one half corresponding to laying a first spiral of material on the coiler such that the spiral diameter continuously increases and the other half corresponding to laying a second spiral of material such that the spiral diameter continuously decreases.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setting circuit has means for varying the voltage applied to the potentiometer, whereby the width of the coil of material can be varied.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the potentiometer is a longitudinal potentiometer.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is a resistor in series with the potentiometer, whereby the value of the resistor determines the internal diameter of the coil of material produced.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a control potentiometer is provided at both the input and output ends of, and in parallel with, the longitudinal potentiometer.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for providing a signal is a tacho-alternator. 

1. Apparatus for coiling material, comprising a coiler with an axis, means for driving the coiler about its axis, and a control system for controlling the coiling of material of extended length on the coiler, the control system comprising means connected to the coiler for providing a signal corresponding to the actual speed of rotation of the coiler and a setting circuit for controlling the coiler driving means, the setting circuit including a potentiometer with a sliding contact, cam means, means for driving the cam means in a predetermined relationship with the rotation of the coiler about its axis, the cam means having a cam surface of a shape corresponding to the required speeds of rotation of the coiler and controlling the position of the sliding contact of the potentiometer to provide a second signal corresponding to said required speeds, and means for comparing the two said signals and controlling the speed of rotation of the coiler accordingly.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam means is a disc having a periphery, the periphery of the disc providing the cam surface.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for driving the cam means has a steplessly variable gear through which it drives the cam means from the coiler driving means, whereby the relative speeds of rotation of the coiler driving means and cam means can be varied.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the potentiometer has a sliding contact which is spring-loaded, weighted and abuts the cam surface.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cam surface consists of two halves each being a mirror image of the other in shape, one half corresponding to laying a first spiral of material on the coiler such that the spiral diameter continuously increases and the other half corresponding to laying a second spiral of material such that the spiral diameter continuously decreases.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setting circuit has means for varying the voltage applied to the potentiometer, whereby the width of the coil of material can be varied.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the potentiometer is a longitudinal potentiometer.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is a resistor in series with the potentiometer, whereby the value of the resistor determines the internal diameter of the coil of material produced.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a control potentiometer is provided at both the input and output ends of, and in parallel with, the longitudinal potentiometer.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for providing a signal is a tacho-alternator. 